The disclosures herein relate generally to accessing an Internet site and more particularly to managing and updating information at the site from a first access point, and multi-level accessing of the information from a second access point.
Various systems have been developed whereby data and information can be accessed by a remote provider and a remote user. In one such system, a remote access server provides a remote user with access to a local computer network. The server receives a user identification string from its communication port, the string having been entered by the remote user at a remote computer which is coupled to the communication port. The string identifies the remote user. The server uses the string to access a database and determine an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with the string. The remote computer needs the IP address to communicate on the local computer network. The database includes a user identification string for each remote user and an IP address for each string. The remote access server sends the IP address to the remote computer via the communication port. The server then allows the remote computer to access the local computer network and to communicate on the local computer network using the IP address.
Another system is a multitask multiuser system which provides for efficient transfer of data from a remote data base to individual subscribers and has particular utility in the distribution of stock market data. A primary provider distributes the incoming data directly to user tasks or to an inquiry provider or a monitor provider. The inquiry provider responds to specific inquiries by users for information in the data base. The monitor provider maintains lists of information which are being monitored by the host computer for individual users. The inquiry provider and the monitor provider do not repeat requests to the remote data base where a similar request is already pending from another user. Data transfer paths between tasks are established by a code module which may be linked to any of the tasks. The transfer paths are established using information from a configuration list and they are monitored by the operating system through a wait list established for each user task. Providers in the system may establish subscriber lists through the code module.
In another application, an authorization mechanism provides authorization information for a client requesting access to a server resource in a server, having a directory server for storing client information required by the server in executing an operation call, including client access rights, and generating a request for an authorization ticket to the server. The request for an authorization ticket includes an identification of the client and an identification of the client information required by the server and is in association with an operation call. The authorization mechanism generates an authorization ticket including the identified information encrypted with an encryption key derived from the password of the server. The authorization ticket is sent to the server and the server decrypts the authorization ticket with the server password and obtains the client information directly including the client access rights. Client information is stored in directory server fields identified by generic field tags. The authorization ticket request identifies client information by tag names identifying the fields, the requested information is stored in the authorization ticket in fields identified by the tag names, and the server mechanism then reads the client information.
A further application includes a first data processing device (node I) coupled to a first private network and to a firewall server (FWA). Firewall server FWA is in turn coupled to a public network, such as the Internet. A second data processing device (node J) is coupled to a second private network which is coupled to the Internet through a firewall server (FWB). Node I provides a data packet including IP data and a destination address for the intended receiving node J to firewall FWA. Firewall FWA is provided with a secret value and a public value. The firewall FWA obtains a Diffie-Hellman (DH) certificate for firewall FWB and determines the public value from the DH certificate. A transient key is randomly generated and is used to encrypt the data packet to be transmitted by firewall FWA to firewall FWB. The encrypted data packet is then encapsulated in a transmission packet by the firewall FWA. The transmission packet includes an unencrypted destination address for the firewall FWB. Firewall FWA then sends the transmission packet to firewall FWB over the Internet. Upon receipt of the transmission packet from firewall FWA, firewall FWB obtains a DH certificate for firewall FWA and determines the public value from the DH certificate. Firewall FWB decrypts the encrypted data packet received from FWA, thereby resulting in the recovery of the original data sent by node I in unencrypted form to the firewall FWA. The firewall FWB then transmits the decrypted data packet to the receiving node J over the second private network.
Purchasing is a major component of the operation of a business. It involves establishing authorized vendor sources, seeking first time or unusual vendor sources and maintaining vendor relationships. Typically, as strong relationships build and as quantity buying develops, purchasing power can increase and purchasing costs can decrease. A major part of repetitive purchasing is based on purchasing history, i.e. what has been purchased in the past, what options are desired, and what options are available.
An important aspect of repetitive purchasing is the accessibility of purchasing history. A purchaser can maintain records as well as a vendor but this will most likely only reveal what has been purchased in the past. A customer may need to know about available options for anticipated purchases and a vendor may have modified or new products which are of interest to the customer. This can be accomplished by repeated direct contact between purchasing department personnel and vendor sales and accounting or other personnel. Such contact may be accomplished by numerous telephone calls to several sources at the vendor""s site.
Information gathered by the purchaser from the vendor then needs to be communicated by purchasing personnel to the person(s) within the organization who requested the information. Additional phone calls and/or meetings may be required before a decision can be made for a definitive purchase. The purchasing agent must then negotiate the best price based on many factors including the nature of the item and the quantity desired.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and method for providing information at a site, continuously managing and updating the site information from a first access point and providing multi-level access to the site information from a second access point.
One embodiment, accordingly, provides a method and apparatus for accessing and maintaining an Internet site containing information which is continuously updated and managed from a vendor location and includes restricted and unrestricted portions accessible from a buyer location. To this end, an Internet information device includes a web site coupled to a first user intranet point and a second user Internet point. The first user point is coupled for providing multi-level managed information to the web site. The second user point is coupled for providing multi-level user access to the managed information such that a selected password provides user access to all of the managed information and another selected password provides user access to a limited portion of the managed information.
A principal advantage of this embodiment is that the user at the first point provides continuous updates to the information at the web site which reduces the need for repeated, time consuming direct contact with the user at the second point. In addition, the user at the second point can restrict access to the information at the web site by segregating password access, can reduce the need for repeated, time consuming direct contact with the user at the first point, and can have instant access to the information updates.